Bloomfire Formalizes Informal Learning
Here’s an article with a little western MI love for  Bloomfire , a Kalamazoo start up creating groups “of informal, social-learning opportunities can be dedicated to anything from sales strategies to fishing.” Bloomfire Manefesto is a little groovy, but if you’re not thinking about the future of…
New York State Makes it to First Round
New York State Makes it to First Round New York State is one of 16 first-round finalist for federal funds from Race to the Top, the national competition to re-invigorate American education with US$4.3 bln.
A Financial Analyst Follows His Heart
School Administrator ran a great profile of John Welch, superintendent of the Highline School District, a complicated and diverse 5 city school district which surrounds SeaTac airport, near Seattle.  John was a budget analyst in Tacoma, WA when I hired him as Finance Director, then CFO.  John won a national…
More Better Accountability; EEP & DFER Show the Way
The Education Equality Project and Democrats For Education Reform issued a report on the accountability provisions within the current NCLB law–a topic people love to hate.  This report is a great reminder of why we need accountability to promote equity and excellence and why strong accountability must be carried…
T1 Should Support College/Career Goal
National Journal asks whether, as the president suggested, that Title 1 should be contingent upon state adoption of college/career ready standards. Â I think the answer is yes. Title 1 is an effort to promote equitable educational outcomes. The most important equity goal is that every student should graduate…
Skip a Year or Two of High School
Sports, socializing, and selective colleges are the primary reason for 4 years of high school. Most kids can and should spend less time in high school and more time in career programs or high education.  Several reporters came to similar conclusions in the last few days.  Walter Kirn, NYT Magazine, suggests…
Technology is Missing From Nation's Education Narrative
Tom Vander Ark of Revolution Learning and I were speaking recently around corporate interests in education. One bright spot to this corporate interest in social movements is the Pepsi Refresh Project, which presents a broad list of categories to urge consumers / social media savvy constituents to choose where…
Coming to Certainty
I enjoy spending time with entrepreneurs that have synthesized the world, spotted an opportunity, and are pursuing it with mission-focused passion. Â Their level of certainty creates the persistence necessary to introduce a new solution. Â It makes me smile (and sometimes cringe) to listen to excited pitches of young people with…
House R's Could Learn From Jeb
House Republicans launched these four focus grouped principles: local control, empowering parents, letting teachers teach, and protecting taxpayers. The ‘platform’ has no aspirations, it doesn’t solve problems, it simply seeks to avoid offense. Â It’s clear ESEA isn’t happening this year. Hill Republicans would do well to spend an…
Quality Counts Tidbits
I’ve been carrying EdWeek’s Quality Counts issue around with me for a month and finally used a two hour plane ride to read it cover to cover. I was reminded of the great work that David Driscoll (with lots of help from folks like Tom Payzant) did in…